As the ecosystem around psychedelics in Europe develops, UK-based Clerkenwell Health is cementing itself as a serious player on the continent with the appointment of clinical development expert Dr Emilio Arbe as chief medical officer (CMO).
Clerkenwell Health, which is leading clinical trials to research psilocybin to help reduce depression for those with a terminal illness and recently partnered with Octarine Bio to advance patient access to psychedelic medicine in Europe, has made the appointment of Dr Arbe as CMO. Arbe has over 25 years of experience in clinical development and medical affairs across a range of biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
The role will include the design and regulatory submissions of clinical trials to international regulators and the delivery of trials at Clerkenwell’s Centre of Excellence
“It’s an enormous privilege for me to join a team of professionals who have a wealth of expertise, combined with the scientific rigour and necessary humility to apply it wisely. Clerkenwell Health certainly looks set to play a key role in shaping the future of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies,” commented Arbe.
Arbe has previously supported COMPASS Pathways, leaders in the clinical development of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, as interim clinical sciences director, qualified as a medical doctor Spain, and specialised in psychiatry at the Warneford Hospital Oxford.
Tom McDonald, Clerkenwell Health CEO, commented: “We are incredibly happy to welcome Emilio to the Clerkenwell Team.
“Dr Emilio Arbe’s 20-plus years expertise designing trials across a broad range of mental health conditions and molecules ensures we have the breadth of expertise to work with the multitude of drug developers in the psychedelics sector. He also has an in-depth understanding of psychedelic-assisted therapies through his time at the worlds largest psychedelic drug developer, Compass Pathways.
“This hire ensures our clients will get industry leading expertise in the design and delivery of their trials. It also allows us to further build the clinical and operational team under Emilio that will be aligned to our core vision: to drive the quality of patient care in mental health and accelerate access to these life changing treatments.”
McDonald continued: “There are very low chances of decriminalisation any time soon across most of Europe. As such, psychedelics will remain a pharmaceutical focused activity for the foreseeable future here. Having experienced clinical teams developing commercial scale infrastructure will allow international drug developers to benefit from our rich life science ecosystem and facilitate access to a very large patient population.
“The UK has a real pedigree with psychedelics. Compass Pathways, Imperial College and King’s College London in the UK to name a few, but there is a lack of independent clinical research organisations who specialise in clinical trials for psychedelic drugs. We are building a collaborative clinical research platform for drug developers to plug into – one that moves at the commercial speed needed to bring these promising compounds to patients quickly.
“By having an in-depth understanding of the regulators views on these treatments, trained therapists able to deliver them, and the customised research facilities in which to run the trials, we will be a ‘one-stop-shop’ able to dramatically increase the speed to market for many of our partners.”
Dr Arbe will be working alongside the Clerkenwell team including CEO Tom McDonald, a former IQVIA pharmaceutical specialist, CSO Dr Henry Fisher, a drug policy expert and chemist who previously worked at The Beckley Foundation and COD Helen McAskill, with leadership experience at Covance and MAC Group.
